A non-contact data carrier is provided with a memory capable of storing various data and is capable of non-contact communication with external reader/writer. Non-contact data carriers are used for automatic package sorting, inventory control, commodity protection from theft, production management and distribution management.
Such a non-contact data carrier is fabricated by the following procedure. An antenna pattern is formed by etching a metal foil, such as an aluminum foil, laminated to a substrate of a resin through a resist pattern. Then, a jumping circuit is formed by forming conductive members on the back surface of the substrate and connecting the antenna pattern through through holes to the conductive members. An IC chip provided with bumps is located such that the bumps correspond to antenna connecting terminals, and the bumps are electrically connected to the antenna connecting terminals. Then, the antenna pattern and the IC chip are covered with a protective coating.
In fabricating this non-contact data carrier, the jumping circuit must be formed by connecting the antenna pattern and the conductive members through the through holes, the IC chip provided with the bumps must be located relative to the antenna connecting terminals, and the bumps formed on the back surface of the IC chip must be electrically connected to the antenna connecting terminals. Since the antenna pattern and the IC chip are separately manufactured, the cost of the non-contact data carrier is high.
Thus, the manufacturing cost of non-contact data carriers is high. Although dependent on configuration, it is said that non-contact data carriers using a microwave of the 2.45 GHZ frequency band cost 5 to 100 odd dollars (“Micro Stamp presented by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. http://www.mbd.co.jp/mc/rfid.00.html”).